Republican Sangamon County sheriff nominee WES BARR took on more than $34,000 in campaign debt as he got through the tough primary campaign against Undersheriff JACK CAMPBELL.

Barr, whose campaign spent more than $174,000 from last July through the end of March, loaned his own campaign $2,000 in March and got another $2,000 loan from the campaign fund of former state Sen. LARRY BOMKE, R-Springfield, who endorsed Barr late in the campaign. Another $11,000 in straight donations came from the Bomke fund in the January-through-March period.

The bulk of the loans came from people associated with FRANK VALA, chairman of the board overseeing Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport who also owns the Route 66 Hotel and Conference Center and Community Care Systems. He also founded Valco Awards and More, which is now owned by his wife, LINDA, and the company last summer gave the campaign about $9,200 worth of signs as a loan. Barr said that debt was forgiven. Another $978 in campaign signs was given as an in-kind donation in March.

Frank Vala also made a $5,000 contribution to the Barr campaign on Nov. 1.

But still owed by the campaign are first-quarter loans of $5,200 from Vala and his wife; $5,200 from LOUISE CONSTANT, a longtime Vala friend; and another $19,800 from other Vala relatives.

Community Care Systems also made an in-kind donation of campaign signs that Barr said were used in the primary. However, the invoice listing the price didn’t come until April 2, so that $10,344 was reported in early April. The Route 66 Hotel also provided services including hall rental valued at $1,375 in March.

In all, in the three-month period, Barr started with $52,057 in the bank, raised $129,461, spent $128,311, and ended the period with about $1,150 in the bank.

Though first-quarter campaign reports were due April 15, Campbell’s report had not yet been filed as of early this week. That means the campaign could be assessed a fine, but State Board of Elections rules basically say such a civil penalty will be put on hold until there is a second offense. Campbell said the report was being prepared.

Campbell said his campaign will have spent in the range of $150,000. We know through documents already filed that Campbell’s mother, MARY MADDOX, loaned $70,000 to the campaign.

“It’s something my mom and I will work out,” Campbell said. “My intent is to pay it back. She’s my mother. She’s not concerned about it. I’m not concerned about it.”

Barr said it was help Campbell was getting from his mother and others that caused Barr to seek loans late in his own campaign to keep up with advertising needs.

“We didn’t have time to hold fundraisers,” Barr said. “So I said, ‘Hey, can you help us out until we get through the primary, and then we’ll hold some fundraisers to help pay that back?” Barr said of his conversation with Vala.

Barr and Campbell both said they met the day after the March 18 primary for a beer. Campbell said the “beer summit” was just a “general conversation between two old friends. There were no questions asked about the future; no promises made.”

Barr agreed that the meeting, at the Corner Pub & Grill, involved talk about the campaign, but nothing about Campbell’s possible future in the sheriff’s office.

Barr said he hasn’t thought that out and is “focusing on the general election.”

Lest we forget, there is a Democrat in the Nov. 4 race against Barr. JEFF REGAN ran a write-in campaign and got enough votes to be on the ballot. He was also the Democratic nominee against Sheriff NEIL WILLIAMSON four years ago.

Regan’s campaign fund started January with just $187. He raised $2,500, including a $250 loan from himself, in the first quarter, spent $1,806, and ended with $881 on hand March 31.

In an interesting twist on the GOP side, the Sangamon County Farm Bureau endorsed Campbell in the primary, but Barr also got a $250 donation from the group on March 4.

JOHN BIRGE, manager of the organization, said it is traditional for the group to give “a token of our gratitude” to candidates who go through their endorsement process, as Barr did.

Schock on Asia trip

U.S. Rep. AARON SCHOCK, R-Peoria, who represents part of Springfield, is among a group of people on a congressional delegation to Asia this week.

House Majority Leader ERIC CANTOR, R-Va., led the delegation on visits to Japan, South Korea and China. A statement from Cantor said the delegation would meet with key leaders in those countries to discuss economic growth and trade, regional security challenges and strengthening alliances in the region.

A statement from Cantor listed seven Republicans and one Democrat joining him on the trip. Among Republicans is U.S. Rep. PAUL RYAN of Wisconsin, who chairs the House budget committee. The Democrat is U.S. Rep. TULSI GABBARD of Hawaii. Schock, 32, and Gabbard, 33, last year partnered with a group called Millennial Action Project to start the Congressional Future Caucus, which seeks bipartisan solutions to problems while working with future leaders across the country.

In the statement about the Asia trip, Schock said, “Expanding new markets for American farmers and manufacturers must be a top priority.”

Remembering Squires

Condolences to friends and family of DON SQUIRES, a one-time radio broadcaster who was later general sales manager at WICS-TV, where he spent 30 years, and also a 10-year state employee. He died Saturday at St. John’s Hospital at age 82.

Squires’ marriage to former Sangamon County Board Chair MARY FRANCES SQUIRES, who is still on the Prairie Capital Convention Center’s board, lasted 59 years. One of their two children is FRANK SQUIRES, managing director of the Springfield Mass Transit District.

Don Squires fell at his Springfield home several days ago and succumbed to an infection, his wife said.

“He never ever said an unkind word about anybody, and nobody ever said an unkind word about Don Squires,” she said. “He was just a good man. He’ll be missed by us. He had a lot of friends. Everybody liked him.”